Castle and Kate's First Date
by Lexiconiful
Summary: Completed! Castle and Kate on their first official date! They have a romantic, funny, and clandestine evening on the town as they try to keep their relationship a secret from family, friends, and work. Fluffy and romantic. Takes place after 'Always' and before anyone actually knows about their relationship. Will be M in later chapters. I do not own Castle or its characters.
1. Chapter 1

"I am going to take you on a date."

Kate looked at Rick's reflection in the mirror as he leaned against the bathroom door jamb. "What? Why?" She asked around her toothbrush.

He walked up behind her and she tried not to smile as he played with her hair.

"Because that's what boyfriends and girlfriends do." He ignored her snort and wrapped his arms around her as she finished brushing. "And yes, I know there are a plethora of terms that one might use instead of boyfriend and girlfriend." He kissed the top of her head. "There's 'affair'." He nuzzled her neck. "'Consenting adults'." He slid a hand through the slit in her robe until he cupped her breast, smiling when she sucked in a breath. "'Lovers'."

She turned around in his arms and slid her arms around his waist as she looked up at him. Without her stilettos it was a much farther view. "I'm okay with all of those."

He leaned down and kissed the side of her mouth, aiming for the bit of toothpaste she'd left behind. "Which is why I'm the romantic one." He ignored her eye roll and took a hold of her chin. "C'mon. Say it." He moved her chin like a marionette and said in a high, squeaky voice. "Richard Castle is my boyfriend." She giggled and smiled at him, even as he kept moving her chin. "He's soooo dreamy! And handsome! And he has a huuuge...".

Kate could feel his grin under the hand she'd slapped over his mouth. "Very cute, Castle." She sobered a bit and laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him once more. "We could have a date here," she suggested. "You always claim you can things delivered from places that don't deliver. Then we can be all those things you mentioned." She lifted her head then went up her toes to kiss him softly, "including the boyfriend and girlfriend thing."

He lingered over her kiss a moment more, enjoying the feel of her against him and loving her a little more each time she admitted out loud that they were indeed a couple.

"We've been doing that." He jumped a bit as her hands moved down to mold his seat. "Um, and that," he pointed out.

He understood why she was nervous. Nobody, not even his family, knew about them yet. And if the wrong people knew, they wouldn't be able to work together. "I want", he whispered in her ear as he began to rock them back in forth in a slow dance, "to wine and dine you." He chastely kissed her cheek then pulled back to rub his nose gently against hers. "To show the world...or restaurant rather, that this beautiful woman has graced me with her presence. I," he watched her eyes drift shut as he leaned in, his lips poised above hers, "want to woo you, Kate Beckett."

She wanted to laugh, to protest that stupid word and the idea that he had to 'woo' her when he already had her, but he'd closed the small distance and was kissing her with that mixture of passion and tenderness that turned her bones to water.

He had the robe off of her and was all ready to take her up against the sink counter when they both heard her phone go off. They held on to each other a minute more as they found their breath. Kate laughed as Rick using his extensive vocabulary to share how he really felt about technology in general and the precinct in particular.

She kissed him one more time and walked into the bedroom to get her phone. He watched her go, enjoying how she left (or had forgotten) the robe, and called out just before she picked up the phone. "So, Tuesday then." She frowned at him and made a shush motion as she picked up the phone. He just smiled and mouthed the day again and held up his fingers to show 7 o'clock before shutting the bathroom door.


	2. Chapter 2

Castle lingered in the hallway outside Kate's apartment, nervously glancing at his watch as it got closer to 7.

He'd dreamed about this. Literally waited for years for the day he could take Katherine Beckett out on a date.

They'd had dinner together countless times, eating at the precinct as they worked on a case or stopping at a restaurant or a bar when they were out in the field. They'd been to each other's places and hung out to eat as partners and friends.

Of course, they'd been sharing a…meal or two lately, but always in the confines of one of their apartments. That did have its perks, of course, he thought with a sly grin. There were just some ways of eating cheesecake that would get you arrested if you tried them in a restaurant.

Her suspension had allowed them to simply wallow in their new status quo. With Alexis and his mother in Paris, they'd had the entire apartment to themselves. Now she was back to work, his mother and Alexis were back home, and they were starting to discover the natural rhythm of their relationship. A secret, forbidden relationship, he'd admit, but that just appealed to the spy novelist side of him.

He stood in front of her door and straightened his tie as the hands of his watch slid towards the hour.

He knew they had to be careful. He knew they were doing things a tad out of order, but he didn't want to skip any part of the courtship dance with Beckett.

So Castle took a deep breath and knocked on Kate's door.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate smiled and stepped back when she heard Rick take a fortifying breath right outside her door. She'd been standing with her ear to it for the past few minutes, listening to him pace, talk to himself, and clear his throat the way he did when he was nervous.

God, he was adorable.

She took a breath herself, and smoothed a hand down her skirt as he knocked. Despite being a foot away, she counted to ten before she opened the door.

She stepped back to let him in, but he just stood there, looking handsome and sophisticated as he clutched a small bouquet of daisies. He also, she noticed with a feline thrill, looked stupefied. "Thank you, Rick," she said with genuine pleasure as he mutely handed her the flowers. She gave them a quick sniff and held the door a little wider. "Coming in?"

"Ah," he took a moment to swallow and then find his tongue. "Yes! Yes, thank you." He stepped in started to close the door behind him, wincing as he shut his fingers in the door because he was watching her walk away to put the flowers in a vase.

She looked incredible. Of course, she normally looked incredible, but this was amazing.

Her hair was a curly mass that's was held loosely together with some women's magic at the nape of her neck. It looked like one good tug would have her hair spilling over her shoulders.

Her shoulders were bare except for the slim red straps that held up a deep red dress that paid homage to the beauty of her body. The square neck bodice showed off her collarbone and her long neck while the bodice hugged her torso in a crisscross of fabric until it flared out in a flounce of a skirt that reminded him of the 1960's.

When she bent over to grab a vase from under the sink he saw the subtle underskirt of black taffeta, but what made him groan was the lined stockings she wore with her signature stilettos. He'd bought those stockings for her as a (sorta) joke. And those, he knew, required a garter belt.

"You look amazing, Kate."

"Thank you," she said almost shyly. The soft, serious way he'd said it, when she'd been expecting a suave one-liner, made her heart and her hands flutter for a moment as she finished with the flowers.

She walked over to him and smoothed his tie for moment before she met his eyes. The tender, dazed look on his face was better than the flowers. She touched her lips gently to his. "You look pretty good yourself."

And he did. Castle was wearing a superbly cut dark gray suit and was, for once, wearing a tie. She sighed in pleasure as the subtle scent of his aftershave hit her. You had to hand it to rich people, they very often smelled fabulous.

The fact that Kate, in her elegant, attire and sexy shoes was all but sniffing his neck like a puppy seemed to snap him out it. He grinned and took her hand, kissing it with old world flourish. "Ms. Beckett, where have you been hiding that dress?"

"What? This old thing?" She ran a hand down her side and smiled as Rick's eyes followed the motion closely. "I keep it in my 'date clothes' closet." She laughed as he spun her out and brought her back in, making her skirt twirl around her legs. "Also known as my closet of feminine wiles."

"Well," he drawled as he drew her against him, "consider me 'wiled'." He tipped her chin up for a soft kiss. "Pun intended."

They stood for a moment with their arms wrapped around each other, just grinning at each other until Kate's stomach let itself be audibly known to everyone present.

Castle laughed out loud as Kate's groaned in embarrassed and let her go with a little nudge towards her coat. "Ah, yes. If I'm not mistaken, that's your 'I've only had a bag of chips and 6 cups of coffee to eat today' nightly bodily protest."

She shrugged on her coat and tried to regain the elegant demeanor with which she'd first met him at the door. "It was an apple, actually," she corrected haughtily. "Not chips."

He bit the inside of his cheek as he handed her her purse and put his hand on the small of her back as they walked to the door. "My mistake."


	4. Chapter 4

They caught a cab outside of Kate's apartment. The cabbie asked where to and she raised an eyebrow when Castle just handed him a slip of paper.

"Where are we going?" She'd been wondering all day. "No place in Manhattan, right Castle? Because we agreed that..."

"The risk of being seen by someone we both know was too great. I know." He took her hand and laced their fingers together. "It's not in Manhattan." He raised a hand when she opened her mouth for another question and started to tick off points she'd mentioned earlier. "I've never been there for a romantic evening. And I've never take a business associate or a friend. This," he reached out and lightly brushed a curl off her cheek, "is just us. On our very own first date."

She smiled and relaxed a little as they took the Brooklyn Bridge exit. "Thank you, Castle. I know I sound paranoid, but nobody knows about yet and I'm still worried about what the Captain would do."

"Oooh, yeaaah," he grimaced. "Especially this close to your call on that one. Hey!" he brightened a bit. "What if some random stranger pegs me as the world famous mystery writer that I am? Can I call you my girlfriend then?"

She gave him a look. "What do you think?" She held back a chuckle when he openly pouted. "For someone who Facebooks and Instagrams as much as you do, I thought you'd know better. Besides," she gave him a little poke. "Just how often does that happen, anyway?"

He poked her back and smiled when it made her giggle. "Often enough, thank you very much!" He squeezed the hand he still held and played with her fingers for a moment. "We should probably come up with a contingency plan, you know."

"A what?"

"An alibi," he said, warming to the idea. A backstory, just in case."

Kate huffed out a breath. "I know what an alibi is, Castle."

"Well then, what do you think?" He took her 'eh' and a shrug as acceptance. "Alright, if we see someone from the precinct...which we won't," Rick hurriedly assured her at her look, "We could tell them we're undercover, so they shouldn't talk to us or tell anyone they saw us. Heh?"

"Or," Kate said slowly, rolling her eyes at a writer's imagination, "we could say you lost a bet and had to treat me."

"Mmm...no." He shook his head. "Someone might as what the bet was and then it gets too complicated." He smiled as the cabbie turned off the bridge. "I believe it was Robert Heinlein that said, and I quote, "The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth — but not all of it.""

She recalled the book with a smile. "Time Enough for Love," she said, then laughed as Castle grabbed her face and gave her an enthusiastic, smacking kiss.

"God, I do you love you! You're the perfect woman." He sat back put a hand dramatically over his heart. "You read Heinlein."

"My mom used to read him and I used to borrow her copies all the time in high school. That was one of her favorites." She gave him a considering look as she mulled over the quote. "So you,re saying we shouldn't lie."

"Right. We just don't tell whole truth We'll say I'm taking you out for a celebratory meal, which we are 'cause I'm sure as hell celebrating just being with you. And," He tapped her purse, which he knew from experience (and holding it earlier) contained her badge and gun. "You just got back from suspension, that's big. Celebration, expensive meal, and pretty dress, big," he clarified and tugged at her skirt.

Kate chewed on her lip for a moment, which always meant that she was seriously considering it. "That could work."

He'd gotten distracted by her legs when he'd played with her skirt. "Of course it'll work," he murmured as he laid his hand on her knee and smoothed his way slowly up her stocking clad thigh.

She stopped him by putting closing her hand over his wrist just before he reached the garter straps. "This is a first date, buddy," she teased even as her breath and heart beat sped up. His large hand and long fingers felt like a hot brand against her leg. She gave a small gasp, glancing nervously at the oblivious driver, as Castle squeezed her thigh, then let go only to flick a finger over the strap before removing his hand.

"Have I ever told you," he whispered in her ear as he laid a long arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side. "That I have written odes to your legs?"

She snorted out a laugh even as he nuzzled closer, his hot breath jangling her circuits as he continued to whisper. "I tried sonnets, but the rhyming scheme was too complicated." He bit her earlobe and grinned slyly at the soft sound she made she made in her throat. "I may have even tried a dirty limerick or two."

"Oh, stop it!" She laughed out loud and turned her head to kiss him, if only to shut him up.

They were still giggling and smooching when the cab stopped at the restaurant. "Here ya go, folks."

Castle got out and helped Beckett out of the cab. She just stood there while he paid the fare, looking at the restaurant with a smile on her face. He took her hand as he came back beside her. "Welcome to The River Café, milady. One of America's most romantic restaurants."

She smiled at him as they walked towards the entrance. "I've always wanted to come here," she admitted, and laid her cheek against his arm. "My parents came here on their first anniversary."

"Yes!" Castle did a fist pump, belying his sophisticated air, as he opened the door for her. "I am the date meister! Am I good or what?"

The River Café shown like a jewel against the East River and the neighboring warehouse docks. Despite it's surroundings, the River Café was often more sought after than its Manhattan cousins for its award winning cuisine, wine, and of course, the view.

She stared at the Manhattan skyline lit up against the night sky and the water as they checked their jackets and stood in line at the maître d's. She lived there, of course, but you never got to see this classic view, depicted countless times, until you were out of the city.

"Mr. Castle, such a pleasure to see you again!" The maître d', an immaculately groomed man wearing the trademark black suit and tie that separated him from the waitstaff in their white jackets, extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again. Welcome."

The smile on Rick's face was genuine as he shook hands. "It's good to see you again, Tony."

Tony's nose lifted a little higher. "It's Anthony now, I'll have you know." He waved away a server and led them through the restaurant himself. "Only aspiring screenwriters and bartenders go by 'Tony'."

"Both of which he was," Rick told Kate as they followed. "I'd come here sometimes when I was writing a story set in the city. That skyline can be a writer's best muse, let me tell you. And sometimes liquor helps a little, too." He nodded at Tony as he pulled out their chairs. "Anthony here makes the best sidecar in the entire city."

"And Rick's still the best tipper I ever had." The Brooklyn accent escaped a bit as he placed their menus just so. "You got me through some lean times, my friend." He stood up and straightened his jacket.

Rick tried not to laugh as Tony snapped his fingers and summoned a waiter to their table. "These two are close, personal friends of mine. Understand?" At the servers clearly terrified 'yes', he turned back to them. "This is the best seat in the house. I hope you have a wonderful evening."

Kate waited until he and the server who took their drink order was far enough away before she let out the laughter. "How do you find these people?"

He put a hand to his chest. "Hey, they find me. Besides, that bartender turned dictator got us in here tonight."

"For which I am grateful." Their table sat by the window and at a discreet distance from other tables. She looked around the restaurant, enjoying the ambiance, the flowers, the soft light, and the romantic music that played discreetly in the background. "This is beautiful, Castle."

The look of pleasure on her face made him feel ten feet tall. "Not as a beautiful as you," he said sincerely and marveled that she could still blush. He lifted the fastest glass of wine he'd ever been served and touched it to hers. "To our first date."

"I'll drink to that," she agreed with a smile.

* * *

Author's note: For fun, go ahead and Google the River Cafe in NYC. The pictures are lovely.


	5. Chapter 5

"For the appetizer, I'll have the Hudson Valley foie gras and the lady will have the the rabbit crepinette."

"Very good, sir." Castle could see Kate actively trying not to smirk. "And for the main course?"

Kate handed the waiter her menu. "I'll have the mushroom Wellington."

"And I'll have the lamb," Rick said.

"Excellent choices."

They waited until he disappeared into the kitchen, then snickered into their wine.

"I thought he was going to click his heels before he left," Kate admitted.

"You know," he told her, "I have met actual royalty who couldn't compete with the arrogance and snobbery of certain high-end wait-staff." He absently picked a flower from the arrangement on their table and held it out to her. "I'm pretty sure there's an underground school for it."

She smiled shyly at him and took the flower, them laughed at the mental picture he presented. "I wouldn't be surprised." She had to swallow and clear her throat when he leaned forward to run a finger lightly along the back of her hand "Um, aren't you going to ask me about the case I caught today?"

Castle smiled, enjoying the look on Beckett's face every time they swung from their normal day-to-day banter back to their newer intimacy. "This," he said softly, taking her hand in his then turning it palm-up so he could alternate between feather light touches and deeper presses with his thumb. "As I said, is a first date. Tonight is about us." He dragged a nail lightly across her palm and watched her pulse stutter in her throat. "Not about how you solved an orchestrated mugging for insurance purposes in just under four hours.

"Right," she agreed breathlessly. "Wait," she yanked her tingling hand to her lap. "What did you just say?"

Somehow he managed to look smug and sheepish at the same time. "Well, I couldn't be there because of the meeting thing with my agent, but that doesn't mean I can't call Ryan and Esposito and see what you guys were up to."

"Why didn't you call _me_?"

"Anticipation," he all but purred. "Well, that and if I talked to you you might have tried to call off tonight." He shrugged at her glare. "Which is why I kept in touch with the guys to keep in the loop."

Kate fumed for another moment. "Didn't they wonder why you were keeping track?"

"Pffft," he waved a hand. "You know I've been doing this for years; following a case when I couldn't be there. Now," He slid his feet forward until they warmly bracketed hers and then wiggled his eyebrows. "Where were we?"

She resisted the urge to slip a foot out of her shoe and mess with him in a Michelin star restaurant. "We were talking about dating."

"Ah, yes. Now this is normally the part where we talk and I convince you that I'm charming and hilarious." He paused as she laughed out loud. "Mission accomplished on that one, so we move on to stories." He leaned his elbows on the expensive tablecloth and put his chin in his hands like a little boy watching his favorite TV show. "What was your worst first date?"

"Looking for pointers on what not to do?" She teased. He shrugged and wiggled his fingers at her to continue. "Fine. I went on a date once when I was college and home for break," she began. "He took me to a nice restaurant and, unbeknownst to me, used a stolen credit card to pay for dinner. When they confronted him, he ran and I was stuck with the check. I only had cab fare on me and I had to call my dad so he could come and pay the bill."

"Ouch," he winced in sympathy. "But, that's nothing. I once got punched out of my chair at the Russian Tea Room when her husband, whom I had been told was an ex-husband, followed us to the restaurant."

"Ooh," she winced much as he had. She knew he'd never been a poacher. "Still, I had humiliation and a paternal lecture. I think I win."

"I don't know." He wiggled his jaw as if remembering the blow, then went on. "So then," he continued, "what about the _best_ date?"

"Um, let's see, I'd have to say my senior prom." She shushed him when he rolled his eyes and groaned. "Hey, now! Dan Fox asked me to go and I'd had a crush on him for years. He drove us in his dad's Camaro with his friend and his date." She smiled at the memory. "He was sweet and looked only at me the whole evening." She sighed dramatically. "Then there was the goodnight kiss."

"Am I a bad person for being jealous of a teenage boy?" Castle asked as he refreshed her wine.

Kate took in the elegant picture he made sitting across from her and grinned at the absurd comparison between her gangly teenage crush and the man before her. "No, not a bad person," she assured, then shrugged. "Insecure, yes. But not bad."

He thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "I can live with that," he decided.

Their appetizers came then, complete with a description that served to let you know how hard it was to create that particular dish.

She watched him delicately smear foie gras on a cracker before digging in to hers. "What about yours?"

"My best first date?" He asked around yummy noises.

She nodded and tried not to moan at the delicate and decadent taste of her own meal.

"Well, there was this one girl, woman," he amended, "that I had been crazy about for a long time. I used to dream, literally _have_ dreams, about taking her out, wining and dining her." He watched her close her eyes in bliss after each bite and wondered if she was even paying attention. "Normally, a first date is about getting to know someone, trying them on for size, but I already knew how we'd fit. I just had to wait."

Kate was watching him now, he noticed. She was still so wary, he thought. So fragile.

"Uh, so how was the actual date?" She asked casually.

Castle smiled down at his plate and prepared another cracker. "Better than my dreams," he said softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Kate was sitting alone at the table when she saw Jenny Ryan at the concierge desk. She was considering hiding behind the table flowers when Jenny saw her and headed over.

"Kate! Hi!" Jenny looked at the two wine glasses on the table and smiled. "Are you on a date?"

"Um." Kate sighed with relief when Castle came out of the restroom and turned right back around when he saw someone with her. "Are you and Ryan here for dinner?" She asked casually.

"Are you kidding?" Jenny snorted. "Maybe when we win the lottery. No," she waved to the man at the concierge desk who held up a to-go bag. "But every now and again we'll splurge for dessert. I'm getting Kevin some apple crisp tonight. The one here is his favorite." She walked away with a wave. "'Night Kate. Tell your date he's one lucky guy. You look beautiful!"

A minute later Castle came back to the table. "Was that Jenny?"

"Yes!" She hissed. "Do you know what thismeans?"

Castle thought for a moment, then guessed, "...that she has excellent taste in restaurants?"

"No, Castle." She said patiently and pointed towards doors. "She's going to go tell Ryan that I was on a date."

He shrugged. "And that's a problem how?" He paused as their main course was set before them. "He knows you go on dates. In fact, they used to delight in sharing with me all the little-bitty details of your dating life." He stabbed a potato with way more force than necessary. "They knew it would drive me crazy, those bastards."

She just stared at him until the light dawned.

"Ohhhh. Th ey poke their noses into your dating life. Aaaand they're detectives," he tapped the side of his nose. "So they're good at it."

"Right." She huffed out an annoyed breath and tried to pay attention to her food. "So Jenny will go home, tell Ryan that I was at an expensive restaurant on a date, and Ryan will start grilling her as to who I was with, what I was wearing, blah, blah, blah."

Rick was trying hard not to be amused. "Why would he be interested in what you're wearing?"

"You know...oh, my lord, this is amazing!" She took a moment to enjoy her food-gasm, then went on. "There's a whole psychology that dissects dress color, hair style, shoes..." Kate tapered off as she noticed Castle slowly scoping her out. "What?"

"Interesting. Interesting," he mused out loud. "Now, as a writer I have,of course, come across such things in my research, but it's been awhile." He leaned back in his chair. "Let's take your dress...which I plan on framing by the way, first."

"It's red," she said dismissively. "So what?"

"It is indeed red," he agreed in a low voice. "And red is the color of passion, romance," he waited until her eyes met his once more. "And love. Women often wear it when they want to get a man's attention. So if you were on a blind date," he reasoned, "you'd wear something more neutral, just in case, mind you, you didn't want all of his attention." He picked up his glass and toasted her with a wink. "But, consider my attention caught."

Kate ran a fingertip down her dress strap and across the top of her bodice, managing not to smile as Rick nearly missed the table when he set down his wine. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said demurely.

"I bet, now where was I? Oh, yes." He studied her hair for a moment, swept back and off her neck in loose bundle of curls. His eyes followed as she tucked an errant strand her ear. "Now, normally they advise that women wear long hair down on a date, as men love the look of loose and wavy locks. But you...," he narrowed his eyes in thought, then grinned slowly. "Our recent... association has taught you how susceptible I am to your lovely neck."

She kept her eyes down and delicately cleared her throat. "Oh, really?"

"You almost always have it down," he reasoned and absently reached across the table to touch her hand. "Then you walk around the apartment with your hair tied back or up and it's like ... an undiscovered country."

She slapped his hand away. "You're lucky that hickey was on the back of my neck, mister."

"A tasty, mesmerizing, undiscovered country," he clarified, unrepentant. "Which has healed up nicely, I noticed."

She pursed her lips in that way that meant she was trying not to smile.

"What else," Rick tapped his lip. "Now, Jenny wouldn't have seen your lined stockings, since you didn't stand up, which is lucky for you. And I happened to know you wore those and that garter belt for me, so that," he finished with a conspiratorial whisper, "will remain our little secret."

"Maybe I just ran out of hose," she teased.

"Maybe you just wanted to drive me out of my mind," he murmured as he dug into his own food. "So, how'd I do?"

Kate thought of all the time she'd spent this afternoon agonizing over each of those decisions. "If I were reading that in a book it would make total sense. Full points." He'd been dead on. "But I'm not a character in a book."

"No, you're not," he said with real satisfaction. "You're a complex, intelligent woman, Kate. I've spent all these years with you and still, every day, you manage to surprise and delight me with some new aspect of you."

Some men, she thought, didn't need a rhyming scheme to produce poetry. "You're pretty fascinating yourself, Richard Castle."

"I know," he said with an exasperated arrogance that made her laugh. "That's what I've been trying to tell you for years!"


	7. Chapter 7

Kate looked longingly over her shoulder as Castle got their jackets from the coat check. "So we're really not staying for dessert?"

"Nope." He helped her on with her coat. "I have other plans for that. And," he glanced back at the dining room as they headed towards the doors, "Now's a good time to leave in any case. I recognize at least three people who've come in after us that might recognize you."

She hurried just a little faster out of the building and out to the line of taxis.

"2nd avenue and 86th, please," he told the cabbie.

"The Upper East Side? What's up there?" She asked.

Castle took her hand and drew it into his lap to play with her fingers. "They're going to revoke your native New Yorker card if you ask such a question, Kate."

"Fine, don't tell me." She snuggled into his side and pulled her hand from his grasp to curve it over his thigh. She gave it a squeeze and smiled as he put his arm around her to pull her closer. "Thank you for dinner, Rick. I've had a wonderful evening."

"Hey, now," he tipped her chin up and gave her a simple kiss. "The evening isn't over yet, you know. We still have a fabulous dessert ahead of us." Kiss. "And don't forget the dancing."

He whispered the last against her mouth, then kissed her the way he'd wanted to for hours.

Kate pressed closer, loving the tension and the passion she could feel emanating from his entire frame. She'd been more than ready for a clash of teeth and tongues, but instead, Castle cradled her face in one hand and pressed his lips softly to hers. First he sipped at her bottom lip, then her top, before following the same pattern with his tongue.

"Castle," she complained and opened her mouth in invitation, grabbing his lapels to try to urge him on.

"Mmm," he rumbled and finally closed his mouth over hers.

Still, he kept the kiss soft. Almost like a man who was touching his lover for the first time, as he explored her mouth with leisurely movements of his tongue, pulling back every now and again, despite her protestations, to press his lips to her eyes, her cheek, and other places before, coming back to her lips.

Screw this, Kate thought through a strange mix of hazy pleasure and lust. First date or not, she knew how they could be together and his slow, undemanding ministrations were driving her wild.

He'd wanted to wallow in her and enjoy these moments of solitude since he couldn't cover her face in kisses in the restaurant. Now, though, he didn't know how much more he could take before he laid her out in the back seat of a cab.

So he could do nothing but moan with pleasure and joy and wrap his arms around her when she grabbed him by the hair and actively sucked his tongue into her mouth.

Kate forgot where they were, forgot everything, as Castle let the leash slip and ravished her mouth. A dizzying rush, and she found herself half on his lap as he maneuvered to hold her closer as their kisses got longer and deeper.

"I said, _AHEM_."

Kate pulled back first as the voice penetrated the fog. "Wha...huh?"

The driver was clearly enjoying himself. "2nd and 86th, folks."

Castle closed his eyes for a moment as Kate moved back to her side of the cab and tried to catch her breath. He took a deep breath himself, then looked at the cabbie. "Look. I'll give you double your fare if you'll go into that bakery there and pick up an order for 'Castle'." He held up a large bill and gestured to the shop. "You get to keep the change, too."

"You got it." The cabbie snatched the cash and moved with admirable speed to the shop.

Kate blew a curl out of her eye and watched with amusement as Castle hunched forward a little and vigorously scrubbed his face with his hands. "How ya doing there, champ? Didn't feel like taking a little walk?"

He narrowed his eyes and shook a finger at her. "You laugh, but this," he waved at his now-ill-fitting trousers, "is all your fault, Kate Beckett. Attacking a man on the first date. Tsk, tsk."

"Awww," she snickered and leaned over to kiss him once more. "That's so sweet, Rick." She scooted back across the seat. "Maybe I should dress like this at the office every once in a while. You know, spice things up a bit."

"Please, don't," he said in a suddenly thick voice. "I'm going to have problems for days as it is, just thinking of how you looked tonight."

That nearly brought her back across the seat, but was saved by cabbie returning with a bag from the Two Little Red Hens Bakery. "They had your stuff all ready," he assured Castle and held up a fistful of cash. "You sure about the change?"

Castle cleared his throat and took the bag. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

Then he gave an address to the cabbie that had her eyebrows raising. "I thought you said we were going dancing."

He smiled and chastely held her hand as they headed towards his apartment. "We are," he said simply and held up the bag containing the best cupcakes in New York. "A fabulous dessert, as promised. And, it turns out that if you push the couch and coffee table back against the wall..." he pantomimed the movement with his arms, "there is sooo much room for dancing."

She shook her head at his antics, loving his charm and admiring his scheming abilities. "How do I know if you can dance or not."

"Please," he rolled his eyes. "My mother is _the_ Martha Rogers. Do think for a moment that she didn't send me to dance class?"

She'd have to thank Martha later.

"Besides, I know we can pull off going to dinner together, but no one," he went on with a look that disarmed her and sent her pulse racing once more. "Will believe that story if they watch me dance with you."

She cleared her throat and interlaced their fingers where he held her hand. "Apartment it is, then."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Next, at the apartment! Please review if you have a moment. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

Castle opened the door to his apartment with a bow. "After you."

"I just want to let you know," Beckett said teasingly over her shoulder as he took her jacket, "I'm not really the kind of girl to allow liberties on the first date."

"You know, you should say that in a southern accent accent if you really want to sell it." Rick then spun her around and dipped her, ballroom-style. "But, considering the...activities we've engaged in the past few weeks," he gave her a smacking kiss that made her laugh and brought her back up. "I would love to hear what you consider 'liberties'."

She put her arms around his neck as he started to sway them side to side. "Good point." She murmured as she brushed her lips across his. She loved that she still had to raise on her toes, even in stilettos, to kiss him. "So, is this the dancing portion or the evening?" She asked as she pressed closer against him.

Part of him, mainly the part that she kept snuggling against, want to say 'yes!'. The writer in him, though, wanted the scene he'd set in his head. He spun her out and stopped when she was a nice, safe, arms-length away. "Not quite." He gestured towards the living room and smiled with pleasure as Kate gasped in surprise.

She walked forward and saw that the couches and coffee tables had been moved aside or pushed back to create an open space. He picked up a remote, dimming the lights and highlighting the lit candles set all around the room.

She spun in a slow circle that made her skirts twirl and put out a hand out to Castle. "The candles are already lit? How has this place not burned down?"

"Please," he scoffed. "I do have apartment fairies, you know." He hit another button and the mellow notes of John Coltrane's 'Slow Dance' pulsed throughout the room. "Now..," Rick put the remote on the counter and took off his jacket, meeting Beckett's eyes across the floor. "I believe I promised you a dance."

Kate just stood there and watched Rick come towards her. He smiled that wicked smile of his, making her breath catch, before slowly sliding off his tie and tossing it aside. He then took her hand and pulled her forward until they were once again chest to chest.

She slid her hand into his as he put his other arm around her waist. "I love this song." She said, smiling up at him as they swayed together.

"I know," he answered simply and kissed her forehead. "Are you ready?"

She tilted her head. "Ready for what?"

"For just a little bit of showing off," was all the warning she got before Castle spun her out, dipped her, then proceeded to Foxtrot her around the room.

He wasn't kidding, she thought in admiration. He really knew how to dance. She'd had lessons once in college, but whenever she misstepped or tried to lead (which happened more than once), Castle would just put his arm more fully across her back and lift her to her toes so that she had no choice but to move with him. It made her feel a little breathless, feminine, and very, very aware of him.

And he'd been right, she realized as their gazes stayed locked. There was no way they could dance together in public without letting the cat out of the bag. She removed her hand from his shoulder and lightly cupped his face as the song ended.

He leaned into her touch and turned his head to kiss her palm. "You are full of surprises, Detective Beckett." Castle murmured and held her close another moment, just breathing her in. "Now tell me," he stepped back and quirked an eyebrow in challenge as the next song came on. "Do you know how to Mambo?"

Over the next half hour they worked their way through Latin dances, lounge classics, 80's music and a variety of other styles that all ended with them plastered against each other. She'd kicked off her heels at one point and had made him do the same so he didn't accidentally step on her toes. Now they were back to A slow Sinatra that had them swaying together like a prom couple.

Castle slid both hands do her back and began to softly knead her ass.

She raised her head up from where it had been resting on his chest (he was sooo much taller than her without her stilettos) and glanced up. "Having fun there?"

"Dancing with you?" He shrugged and tried to look innocent even as his nimble hands slid her skirt up. "Always."

Kate swallowed and dropped her head back to his chest as he continued his exploration. Once the skirt was out of the way his large hands smoothed over the garter belt at her hip, following the edge of it until he hit the strap. He ran a finger down the strap as far as he could reach, then ran his finger under it along her skin all the way back up until he could cuddle her in his hands once again.

She tried and failed to stop the quiet moan as he pulled her tight against him.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Kate." He nuzzled the top of her head, his breath becoming heavy as she pushed back into his hands. He peeled one of his hands away and cupped the back of her head, uncaring now about her hairdo.

Her head tilted back like a wilted flower and made him feel like a god. "By far the best first date I've ever had." He tilted her head back farther in order to press lingering kisses on the endless column of her neck. "And you?" He murmured.

Kate dimly realized that she was clutching his shirt in her hands as though us she needed an anchor. And maybe she did, she thought as he lightly bit where her neck and shoulder met. She seriously couldn't feel her knees.

In answer, she let go of his shirt and speared her finger through his hair and pulled his head up until their lips just brushed. "Ask me again when it's over,"  
she purred and then fastened her mouth to his.

Oh, thank God. Thank God, was all Castle could think for a while as they did their best to devour each other.

Kate reveled at the clutch of his hands and the heated groan he gave when she sucked on his tongue. He'd made no effort to hide the effect she had on his body while they were dancing. He'd been diabolical, too; sliding his leg between hers as they moved, holding her just close enough to brush against her breasts over and over, only to suddenly press the hot ache of them against of him another time.

The cumulative effect had her all but climbing him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Rick stumbled a bit when she shifted her weight to wrap a long, silk encased leg around his, but he quickly recovered, running a hand from her back down to her thigh so he could hitch her higher against him. He felt her shudder as the bulge in his pants now pressed directly against the notch between her thighs. His eyes actually crossed when she began to rotate her hips against him.

Kate gasped and buried her face against his shoulder. "Rick!"

That was all he could take. Kissing her once more, he picked her up, rumbling his pleasure when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He headed in the direction of what he hoped was the couch.

Kate lifted her head when Castle cursed. "What's wrong?" She asked, panting.

"Coffee table."

He'd actually headed in the opposite direction of the couch. She looked around them, squeezing him tighter with her legs as he began to kiss and bite her neck. The curtains were closed and all of the sudden the couch was too far away.

Castle held her steady as she unhooked her legs and slid back to her feet. He didn't mind though, since she immediately began working on his pants. He got her dress unzipped just as she dropped his pants around his ankles. Between one breath and the next he found himself on his back, put there by what he knew to be a textbook cop move.

"Um..., are you sure?" He stuttered as she knelt over him. "I mean I rolled the rug up and the couch is just..." The words dried up in his mouth as she gave a slow, sultry smile and drew his hands up and over his head. "Here's fine," he croaked.

She gave him a brief, soft kiss and settled back against his thighs, her smile getting wider when he clasped his hands behind his head. His eyes followed her hands, trailing the movement as she slowly drew her straps down her arms. The look in his eyes was so hot she wondered giddily how long he could keep his hands to himself.

Rick felt like he was drowning in her. She'd slid the straps down her arms, but the bodice clung lovingly to her torso and had slid down just a little so that black lace of whatever magic she wore underneath peeked out and teased him.

"Can you keep your hands there?" She whispered, reaching out to oh-so-slowly unbutton his shirt.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, shivering as she raked her nails over the chest hair she'd exposed so far. "Do you really want me to?"

She leaned forward to spread his shirt wide, the action finally, finally enough to make her dress slide down to pool around her waist. "One minute," she murmured against his skin, reveling in how his entire body tightened at the touch of her lips. She gave in to the urge to nuzzle, nip, and basically feel up the large expanse of flesh at her disposal.

Every touch of her hands and lips made Castle groan and gasp. He tried closing his eyes, hoping that blocking the siren's call of the image she made would help him keep his cool. It failed miserably and just made every sensation, every scent and texture of her, excruciatingly vivid.

Kate gave a moan of her own as she pressed her breasts to his hot chest, sliding against him as she moved up his torso to suck on his neck. She had just tested the resiliency of that particular area with her teeth when Castle jack-knifed upwards, cradling her to him even as he pulled her head back by her hair.

He held her like that for a moment, teasingly rubbing his nose against hers even as she opened her mouth in welcome. "Minutes up."

Oh, thank god, she thought hazily.

Kissing Rick was sometimes playful, sometimes silly, or passionate, and she had expected him to ravish her after the slow torture she knew she'd put him through. Instead, he'd pressed his lips to hers in sweet, almost reverential kisses that had her heart flopping wildly in her chest.

The hand that at first pulled her hair now caressed her scalp, sliding gently into her hairdo and caused pins to fall around them until her hair fell down her back and over his arm. Castle shuddered at the feel of it and finally took her mouth, kissing her slowly, deeply, groaning deep in his chest at each parry of her tongue as he lost himself in the taste of her.

Kate couldn't breath and she didn't care. She wanted to get the rest of their clothes off, but she didn't want to stop kissing him. Only when he grabbed her by the hips to still her rocking where she sat in his lap did she pull back. She raised her arms. "Take it off," she panted, meaning the dress that was still pooled around her waist.

He obliged by sliding his hands up the front of her thighs, burrowing beneath the material and skimming hot palms over garters until his fingers met at a juncture of hot, damp satin. One brief pressing homage that had her gasping and clenching her thighs around him and he continued upwards, taking the material with him.

"Castle!" Beckett's head fell back against her neck as he got to her her bra and stopped again, this time simply petting her through the lace until she wanted to rip away the barrier herself.

He finally tossed the dress away and they just stared at each other, panting. He cupped her cheek. "I know," he said simply. He shrugged out of his shirt and watched, mesmerized as she reached behind her and undid her bra. Rick put his arms around her once more, pulling her forward on his lap once more until her nipples were buried in his chest hair and the damp heat of her was pressed against throbbing erection.

Their kiss this time was frenzied and wet as Castle fell back to the floor carrying her with him. He rolled over, whispering her name when she wrapped her silk-encased legs around his waist, drawing their centers together once again.

Kate grinned wickedly as Castle went completely still above her. She could practically hear his teeth grind as he searched for some control.

Screw that.

"Rick." She drew her nails lightly down his back to his waist, gasping as his hips bucked against her. She reached up and bit his chin just as she lowered his shorts as far as she could.

It was enough. They both groaned as his dick pressed hotly between their bodies. Kate tightened her legs and raised her hips, whimpering at the sliding friction even through her panties. "Please!"

Castle's strangled 'I'm sorry' didn't register until she felt her panties being torn off and tossed aside. (Luckily, in an act of foresight, she'd pulled them on over the garters.) Her back arched off the ground with a cry as two big fingers slid inside of her, testing her readiness.

Rick blinked the sweat out of his eyes and tried to find some control as he withdrew his hand and settled against her. They'd done all this before, but the vision of her against him, with him, and staring up at him with that look on her face as she whimpered his name still felt to good to be true.

He rested on his elbows and cradled her face in both hands as he sank into her. He fought against just closing his eyes as the pleasure swamped him so that he could watch every expression and catch every sound she made as he moved inside her.

Kate could feel him watching her, but after that first thrust, she stopped caring. Her eyes had closed as he'd filled her, the sensations piling up and up until she could do nothing but hang on. She dug her nails into his shoulders, tugging amidst her incoherent cries until he got the hint and lowered his chest to hers.

Her breasts flattened against his chest and she moaned at the weight of him and the rasping friction of his chest hair against her hard nipples. "Oh my god! Rick!"

Castle buried his face against her neck as he sped up his pace. His whole body tingled and throbbed as the pleasure grew and grew. There was no way in hell he was going without her, though.

His large hand slid down her side beneath her. He canted her hips forward that extra inch so that thrust and retreat had him pressing against her clit.

His efforts were soon rewarded as she clung to him tighter, shaking, moans turning into sharp cries as he pushed her over the edge.

The sound of her chanting his name as her inner muscles clamped around him had him coming hard. He gripped her hair, burying his face in it as he tried breath through the best orgasm of his life.  
-

"Castle," Kate sighed, running her hands through his damp hair. He had scooted down so that his head was resting on her breasts. The use of her nails against his scalp had him rumbling in pleasure. "Comfy?"

His contented 'mmm' had her grinning. She closed her eyes and hummed herself, surprisingly comfortable on the bare floor.

"I hope this doesn't make you think less of me." When Rick raised his head to look at her, eyebrow raised, she giggled. "My first dates don't normally end with me bare-assed on a living room floor."

He leaned forward to kiss her. "Not quite bare," and playfully snapped the one garter that was miraculously still attached.

She laughed and kissed him back. "Well, then. I guess I'm okay." She cupped the side of his face, loving the way he closed his eyes and snuggled into her palm. "Thank you, Castle." She laughed again at his leer and overly suggestive 'you're welcome'. "You know what I mean."

He chuckled and placed his forehead against hers. "I know what you mean, Kate." His feelings for her flooded his throat so that his voice was impossibly deeper as he said, "Best first date ever. "

Beckett hugged him, her own feeling for him swelling, responding to the love in his voice. "Does that mean its over?"

Castle cleared his throat and got to his knees, taking a moment to burn the picture she made against his floor into his brain before offering her a hand. "Oh, no." He hauled them both to their feet, then made her squeal as he caught her up in his arms. "You still have to see, and be seduced by, my flower-strewn bedroom, complete with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries."

She loved his romantic side. Putting her arms around his neck as he started towards the bedroom she whispered into his ear, "Chocolate-covered strawberries, huh? What about our cupcakes?"

"Duh. Those are for eating in bed in the wee hours of the morning when we need the sugar high to replenish our energy."

"Sounds like a plan, Castle. But for now, I am in the mood for...strawberries."

He almost dropped her when she stuck her tongue in his ear, making her giggle as he walked even faster. "Best first date ever," he said again as he kicked his door open.

Kate didn't even look at the room as she turned his head for a kiss. "I think so too."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please take a moment to review. I always have trouble figuring out what to write next so send me your ideas and I'll do my best:-)


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